Decided to try Valley Azteca after it was recommended by some foodie friends. We were very happy with our food and it was some of the best Mexican food we've had in Humboldt! The carnitas dinner was a good amount, very crispy. We had both chicken and beef taquitos and they were very full and crispy. We also had a combination plate with chili relleno and enchilada. All three came with generous portions of guacamole and pico de gallo. Kids had a quesadilla, it had the perfect amount of cheese. After being in a Mexican food rut with our usual spot, we are excited to continue exploring the menu and trying more delicious food at this little gem! read more

Valley Azteca is the best Mexican restaurant in Humboldt. My favorite is the Green Buritto with Carney Assad, an their baby tacos with toung, or tinga. They treat everyone like family. I have family that lives in Idaho an when they come to visit they have to stop here. read more

Good solid Mexican restaurant for lovers of Mexican food, quite large in number of tables. The decor is tasteful and cantina-esque. The restaurant has a big sign, but otherwise is a hole-in-the-wall, as it sits in a back corner of a strip mall. Enjoyed several classic dishes including chili verde, enchiladas, and chile relleno...all very good and everything met our expectations. We are meat eaters, but it appeared that they had a nice selection of vegetarian dishes on the menu. Enjoy! read more

Valley Azteca Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

Not much of an ambiance but they have the best California burrito in town in my opinion. I wouldn't order anywhere else.

Salsa was so delicious, I could of drank it. Passed through this town and really wanted good Mexican food, this place delivered!

Amazing food and very friendly owners and staff we work across the street at the best western and always support them the guest always come back telling us how good it is best burrito and mole read more

AMAZING taqueria. They make pretty much everything in house. Meat was tender . Sauces and salsas were delicious. The wet carnitas burrito was amazing ! read more

Valley Azteca Mexican Restaurant - carne asada plate - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

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Valley Azteca delivers on all fronts. I'm really picky eater and vegetarian so that's not easy. Thoroughly enjoyed the food and great service. The waitress was super helpful, friendly and was super efficient. The food was served warm and fresh. I enjoyed the spinach enchiladas with black beans/rice. Make sure to check out the hand written menu which includes Elotes - sorry I missed it. For dessert the churros are homemade and not to be missed. Hope you enjoy too! read more

Valley Azteca Mexican Restaurant - Churros homemade! - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

I've only had one dish here, chicken mole enchiladas, (it's one I make myself); it was so sensational the first time i now crave it, constantly. My idea of cost, $ - $$ - $$$, and that of Google/Yelp is obviously quite different, however with quality of the food (!) the taste (!!) of the food, and the wonderfully friendly and helpful waitress (!!!) (part of the Owner's family), it's a slam dunk well worth the cost! I recommend keeping this place not only in business but expanding! read more

Been there three times and I'm done. Ordered what looked like a regular burrito and when I opened the box I noticed that half of the ingredients were dumped on top of the burrito. Why? Returned a few days later and ordered a different burrito and they did the same thing. I've also noticed that other places do that as well. Is that a white Humboldt hippie thing? And the third and final time, I ordered a chimichanga (which looked like a pizza pocket and was pretty bland) with rice and beans and it cost $18.40. That's insane! I should of said a la carte (which was $14 btw) but I was hungover af and got the near $20 order absent mindedly. Derp. read more

Every time I have came to this location the family is very sweet. I appreciate the plenty of seating they offer especially for big groups. Based on my experience on the past the food was relatively tasty but then again I haven't been here in awhile so I am unsure if it has changed. Overall I have this location a 5 stars because these people are really humble and this joint is a small mom and pop shop. This is highly important to me I order to support small local businesses whenever I get a chance read more

Not very many Mexican food places here in Arcata so it was sort of our only choice but it turned out great. The Host was very nice and respectful. The food was awesome and will come by to eat again on our next visit. Plus they sell Mexican candies there as well for super cheap! Keep doing what you're doing! read more

Remember this review is based on what is available in the area. Not the culinary capital of California. The restaurant is in a strip mall that houses a Dollar Tree and marijuana shop. Once you get passed that it is an excellent choice for a Mexican dinner. Typical fare includes tacos, burritos etc with combos of all available. The service was excellent. Friendly, prompt and solicitous. Coke products, beer and margaritas are all available. Honestly the best food I found in the 3 days we were in the area. Note: if you do want a fine dining experience you need reservations. Before eating here we were turned away from 2 restaurants because they were booked for the night. read more

The service is prompt. The menu is full of options. This business is family owned so I really enjoy that aspect of the business. The owner is really nice and accommodating. I will definitely revisit this place in the near future. I'm visiting from Sacramento! So I am not a good candidate to be a regular, but at first glance I was impressed with this place. Everything is well priced. read more

Valley Azteca Mexican Restaurant - The main dishes on the wall ! Word to that - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

Very friendly staff. Interior of restaurant was clean. Got 2 taco orders and flan to go. Everything was delicious!

Now called by its new owner the Valley Azteca (Valley, as in Valley West Shopping Center) (707) 826-0723. My wife and I and my two sons have eaten here for years, since it was the original Luzmilas. The restaurant is spacious and the furnishings are old, but in a good way. LOTS of spacious red leather upholstered booths, along with older tables and sturdy service-scarred chairs. The place is great for a quiet conversation over a beer. Northeast corner of the shopping center, near the passage to the back parking lot. The food is quintessential Mexican home style. In fact I think the owner's wife is in charge of the kitchen. English and Spanish is spoken here. I see a lot of take-out with Spanish banter thrown in. It seems to be a family business with the friendly portly Cheech-Marin aspect middle-aged host ensuring that you are happy and get exactly what you want, the mom overseeing the kitchen with various other age groups from grandma to school aged kid stopping off studying with his schoolbooks dispatched to a minor errand with a Spanish exhortation. As I said, the food is home style Mexican. A large menu with a variety of combinations. Good portions. I usually choose one or two items such as Tostada or Chili Relleno with rice and beans. Mexican beers. Not gourmet, but good and tasty and reasonably inexpensive. Comfort food. read more

Valley Azteca Mexican Restaurant - Chips and salsa before ordering - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

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So far, this is the best Mexican food I have had since I've moved here. Definitely will keep coming back.

Quick service and delicious authentic dishes. The mango margarita was yummy bringing back memories of Todos Santos mango margaritas.

Always friendly and fair. The food is really good too. These owners deserve a five star review. Give them a visit. read more

Love the food here, and the service is always great! The owner and his family run the restaurant and I enjoy supporting local, family run businesses. Always pleased with whatever I order, eat here at least once a week and always satisfied! read more

From the outside it looks tiny, but inside it's much bigger-- plenty of seating for everyone. Service is pleasant and attentive, quick with spicy salsas and chips, yet don't hover for your order. I ordered the Carne Asada Valley Burrito and man is it a healthy size burrito! I wouldn't go so far as to say it knocked my socks off, but it wasn't disappointing either. Look, it was straight forward Mexican food and I enjoyed every bite. I'll come back for sure. read more

I love random dinner choices. We went here for a early dinner after we could not get into another Mexican restaurant around the corner. Valley Azteca hidden in the corner of the shopping center has been on both our lists so it was perfect. We snagged a table easily because we got there early, but as the night progressed it was definitely getting busy because of the holiday weekend. As for the service - our waiter was very nice and helpful. The food was excellent, I had the beef burritos and they were delicious. I wish they came with a side of that delicious guacamole. The burritos are small but filling. read more

Definitely one of the best Burritos in the Arcata area. Quick service, the place surprisingly isn't that busy. I always stick with pretty simple stuff but it's always been great. Would recommend strongly for good Mexican food. read more

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Tried the fajitas salad and it was delicious. My sister swears by the mole sauce, a little sweet but with a nice kick. Rice and beans taste homemade. Enchiladas are also a favorite and always delicious. read more

Just drove 9 hours and we're starved for food. We found this place near out hotel and boy are we thankful! Super yummy authentic food!!! The people working here are really nice too!!! read more

Such a great place! Been going here with the kids for years and they are so accommodating besides having the most delicious and authentic food! I just adore the owner, such a dignified gentleman. By nature's design it's a blessing of good food and a relaxed atmosphere. read more

This place was solid. Ate dinner on a weeknight in town for work, really wanted some Mexican food. Went here based on reviews and was satisfied. Amount of food was very good, the flavor was ok, though it was not freshly made and the lettuce was definitely past its prime. They included some tasty chips with my meal though, so that was a plus! All in all, it was a solid dinner for a travelling man, I would recommend a try if you happen to be in the area. read more

Nice to see a Mexican restaurant with more than tacos, burritos, refried beans and rice. My husband had chicken mole & it was delicious! I had carnitas tacos, and that was the best carnitas I have had (outside of my own!). It was tender but had just enough crispiness to it - yum! Restaurant was clean & comfortable, and service was friendly & prompt. Prices weren't bad for this area. read more

The most amazing Carne Asada burritos on the Great service and great guacamole and chips are fantastic too. The sauces are amazing. As are the salsas read more

I'm staying in Arcata for a week and I have already been here twice. I will likely be back for another meal before I leave. I didn't take any pictures of my food because it looked and smelled so good that I couldn't wait to stuff my face. The location has a lot of seating. The restaurant is clean. The service is fast and friendly. They serve two salsas with their chips. I prefer the one that is more orangish, my daughter liked the red one. I was so happy that they have potato tacos. They are soooo good. Their enchiladas and rice are good too as well as their chips. Writing this is making me crave their food. I might need to have my 3rd meal there after I post this review. read more

Zero stars is what I'd give this restaurant were it an option. I ordered a plate from here just last night and what a disappointment! 2 quite small pieces of pork is what I was given on my DINNER last night! And yes I was still hungry when I was finished. Plus they forgot to include the salsa so no chips and salsa. And worst of all they charged me a freaking arm and a leg for those 2 little pieces of pork and a very modest portion of rice and beans. Sooo disappointing. And that's how they treat ME..formerly a regular customer. That meal plus a small soup and 2 pieces tres leches cake cost me $42! Are you kidding me right now?!? I won't EVER be going back. How do ya like me now..neighbors?? Yeah right. Boo. read more

On a road trip from Los Angeles to hike the Redwoods. Best Mexican restaurant I have been to in a long time! This includes LA and all of SoCal. Everything is homemade and and prepared at the restaurant. The staff is very friendly. Highly recommended if you're visiting the north coast. read more

Tasteless Mexican food..I've lived in Mexico, currently live in the San Joaquin Valley -in my city there must be at least 50 Mexican restaurants, so I know what I'm talking about. This is what I call "White Man's Mexican food," tasteless..it's in a seedy shopping center- actually most of Arcata is seedy. I had "flautas", tasted nothing like the flautas I have had hundreds of times elsewhere , tasted like they were reheated out a box from the frozen food section of your local supermarket l.. read more

By far my favorite Mexican restaurant in Humboldt. All the dishes I've had there are phenomenal.

The price here is fair. I'm not sure if they hired a new chef but the green salsa does not taste as good as it did when I first tried it. Specifically, on the tamales and enchiladas. The green salsa taste plain and like blended tomatillo. It lacks flavor in many levels of Mexican cuisine. Other then that, great customer service and margaritas! read more

So I was eating the best burrito ever tonight...delicious tortilla, very filling...and when I got to the end of the burrito I bit down on something hard. I pulled it out of my mouth and what do you know, it was a rock. I still do not even believe it! This was so disappointing because the burrito tasted so good, and I just don't understand how you accidentally get a rock in your food. At this point I'm questioning the cleanliness of the kitchen. read more

Valley Azteca Mexican Restaurant - The rock I found in my food tonight at Valley Azteca - Mexican Near Me - Arcata, California

I was really hoping to enjoy this place! My boyfriend and I came in and ordered two items to-go, so this review is not for the whole restaurant experience. The restaurant is much larger than it looks on the outside, and it seems as if it can accomodate large parties. The staff was extremely friendly, and very efficient. We ordered at the counter and waited about 15 minutes before our food was ready and packaged- great! However... The food was not great. Maybe the kitchen was having a rough night :( I ordered two crispy tofu tacos a la carte. The menu advertises plenty of vegetarian options, which excited me at first. However, my tacos were far from exciting. They were extremely dry and the tofu was not crispy at all. It was barely cooked and pretty oily. The tacos also came with no cheese, when it advertised that cheese was to be on them. That made me so sad! The taco shell tasted as if it was deep fried in old oil, because it was stale tasting yet crisp. The same goes with the bag of tortilla chips that came with our meal. They seemed to be homemade, which is fantastic, but they tasted partially soft (stale) and had an old oil type of flavor to them. My boyfriend ordered the veggie and black bean burrito. It was barely rolled so he ate it with a fork and knife. The veggies inside were soggy and the whole thing had literally no flavor. No seasoning or anything. He ate the whole thing (it was a decent size) but nothing about it seemed authentic. It could possibly be the fact that we ordered vegetarian items, but then again, why offer vegetarian items when they aren't made with thought, care, or seasoning? I hate to be picky, but I will probably never come back here for a vegetarian meal again. read more

This is definitely my favorite Mexican food resturant in the county always delicious and amazing to look at the service is always very very nice .. Great place for families of all sizes. Thanks for your great food I always enjoy it but my favorite so far is the Mole Enchiladas oh my goodness way too good I was so full and kept eating. Thanks again ,see you soon! read more

Favorite go to Mexican restaurant in Humboldt! Of course nothing compares to so cal Mexican food, but I love this place and I tend to base my judgement on the quality of the carne asada. This has been the best quality carne asada that I have tried up here. Almost no fat, which is a huge plus! We have this place at least once a week! read more

We were visiting the redwoods and found this restaurant. The food was very good, good service and I would recommend trying this restaurant